As the Ebon Hold approached the docking platform of Deathbringer's Rise just below the spire of the Frozen Throne, the Lich King himself stood tall with a hand to his back and another holding his deathly hammer as it lies on the top of its head, other Death Knights stand by his side with their weapons in hand.

He watched with a cold emotionless expression as the necropolis came closer and docked with a ramp to the platform. Darion and the three Equestrians descended the ramp and approached the Lich King.

Spike was on Celestia's back for a safety precaution, seeing the mighty figure that is the Lich King sent chills down his spine.

The Lich King turns to Darion. "You have done well, Mograine. Your brethren await you upon the Frozen Throne, join them and begin preparations." He said, is voice as cold and dark as ever.

"As you wish... Highlord." Darion said before he made his way to the gates.

Bolvar would only be known as the Lich King to the Scourge, but to the Ebon Blade, the title of Highlord was his only exception. Showing the Ebon Blade that he wasn't under the full influence of the deceased Lich Kings, gave them some form of trust in him, yet he knew that would have to be enough for now. Then he turns to the three Equestrians before he begins to speak.

"Your arrival is of great importance, as I fear your champions will not have much time. Walk with me, and I will inform you what has lead to their abduction." Then the Lich King turned and made his way to the gates.

Celestia, Luna and Spike all looked at each other before they caught up with the King of the Dead. Once they caught up, Celestia was the first to speak.

"So, what has happened? How did the monsters we saw invade our world, and where have they taken Twilight and the others?"

Bolvar took a moment before he looked back up into the sky as he walked. "Not long ago before your champions were taken, I clung to what little humanity of myself I could preserve, to maintain the Scourge from venturing out of Icecrown..."

4 Weeks Ago...

Upon the Frozen Throne of Icecrown Citadel, Bolvar was trying to maintain control of the helm to keep the Scourge from wandering too far to the living lands of Azeroth. Maintaining the entire legions of the dead from destroying all living things upon this world was painfully challenging for Bolvar as he fought off against the dark voices of the helm that tried to corrupt him. One of the things that kept his human side intact was his beloved daughter, Taelia Fordragon. Remembering her and the love she had for him is what helped him fight against the darkness of the helm he wears, and he would not let himself be lost to them and see his daughter killed by his own hand.

"But what came next, I was not prepared for..."

His thoughts were interrupted, however, when he suddenly saw a dark light in the shape of cracks shine upon the ice, having him look upward to see a sight he dreaded to ever see again; the veil between Azeroth and the Shadowlands opening once again.

But once the veil shattered, what the Maw was once described as a horrific place that inspires the nightmares of denizens themselves, was now a more melancholy and gloomy form of itself that gave a more somber influence to those that dwelled within, or even stared into it.

Dark flashes of thunder revealed the prison tower of Torghast, to have been much bigger than Bolvar remembered, maybe bigger than the Eternal Ones themselves would have remembered, and it was much more menacing and horrific as if it was reconstructed into a fortress.

"The veil between life and death, shattered... within itself. The mere presence of the Maw affected all things within Icecrown and beyond, yet the dead remained untainted..."

Bolvar looked below the spire and saw this strange smog and mist from the Maw already upon the icy terrains below the citadel and all other landforms of Northrend. He couldn't see what was happening within the smog, but the helm allowed him to see what the Scourge could, which was the living being burned alive or decaying rapidly within this Maw-shroud. The dead however, didn't seem to be gravely affected by the smog if not deranged from the blinding darkness of it.

"As I looked up to the Maw, I heard the voices of the souls within. I did not doubt that some of those voices belonged to your realm. But they were not the only ones taken..."

Present Day...

"Many other heroes of the mortal realms like your own have been taken deep within the ever-changing halls and torturous prisons of Torghast." The Lich King stated with confirmation.

"But why, what reason could these beasts have for taking Twilight and her friends?" Luna asked.

"Such theory for these actions may be for the prevention of failure, or to harness the power that they carry, for succession."

"If the reason maybe whosoever rules this cruel afterlife fears failure, then entrapping the heroes they take will surely seal their doomed fate." Luna said.

"But if the reason maybe that whosoever rules the Maw and takes the power of every hero they capture, then they could be unstoppable!" Celestia said.

"Whatever the reason for these actions are, your heroes cannot stay within the Maw, or they will succumb to the madness within. For this reason, we must prepare for the fight to come." The Lich King says. Then the group steps onto a pad and are teleported to the spire of the Frozen Throne, where many world leaders of the mortal realms and their champions have been gathered.

"Whoa... I guess this amount of world leaders would be the equal of heroes that were abducted." Spike says in shock. Then the three gather with the other leaders as the Lich King prepares to speak.

"Masters of the Mortal Realms!" All the leaders turn their heads to the one that called them here. "The horrors that have taken your champions, may well be a threat you are all unfamiliar with. The very realm you gaze upon that dwells above may be known as the Shadowlands, but to all mortals... It is the afterlife."

The leaders of their worlds exclaimed in shock and fear as they did not think their heroes would be taken beyond the veil of death, especially to the worst afterlife that would be the Underworld.

"You may notice that only a chosen few have been summoned here..." Darion began. "Had all the leaders of your realms arrived, the horrors of the darkness above would have had your people in a distraught disposition. It is for this reason only few of you were summoned here."

The leaders all nodded in understanding.

"But how would one enter the afterlife? Surely a mere mortal cannot just cross through the veil?" One of them asked.

"A single leader that carries magic or any source of power must stand upon a single rune in the Circle of Runes. Then we may begin the ritual to cross the veil." Darion explained.

As they all nodded, one leader from a realm stood upon a rune with the others following in suit. Celestia stood upon the last rune available, which was the center rune.

Once each leader was on a rune, the Lich King came to the center of them all.

"What you will see in this realm upon entry, will be all that you fear and all that you hide within your sorrows. Those who have taken our champions through the veil, will not surrender them, nor will they see you spared." The Lich King explains. "Your magics and powers make you strong, but they will not afford a suitable length of time. You must be relentless in battle, but use what you have wisely. Darion Mograine will lead the Ebon Blade into battle and aid you in your conquest."

"The Maw has proven more challenging than we presumed the first time. Now we may fair a better chance against them with the experience we have learned from before." Darion stated.

Bolvar rose his hammer high as it began to burn brightly.

"Harness your magic, and set your mind to the realm of which you must go." He said. All the leaders either charged their palms or raised their weapons upward to the Maw.

While Celestia was charging her horn, Spike held onto her tightly to make sure he wouldn't fall off during the journey through the sky.

The other leaders that were staying behind wished their partners luck and to bring their heroes back home.

"Once upon arrival, the Maw will show no hesitation to strike you down, and no mercy to give you a peaceful death. Therefore, you must show them none." The Lich King said.

All the leaders nodded in understanding.

"Prepare yourselves... The Maw awaits!" The Lich King proclaimed as he and everyone upon the runes glowed very brightly and began to fly up to the Maw in the sky.

Spike all the while was simply holding on for dear life. Despite having wings, he probably couldn't pass through with Celestia if he wasn't on her. Spike looked up to see some of the leaders already flashing as they entered through the deathly smog of the underworld. He closed his eyes tightly as they were getting closer.
Once Celestia made contact, the two vanished.

Luna had a look of hope and wishful thoughts as she saw her big sister vanish in a flash of light.

"Keep him safe, Celestia..."

Beyond the Veil...

The flashes of light were plummeting from the shattered sky and onto different planes of the Maw.

The Lich King and Darion landed and already slayed a few warriors that charged them. A few that surrounded them from behind were destroyed when Celestia landed and blasted a few of them away.

Once Spike opened his eyes, they widened beyond belief and filled with horror and dread at what he was seeing.

Ghostly skeleton dragons, horned phantoms with torsos made of skulls, and giant abominations in horrific armor and size. They seemed endless, but the real horror of this place was the tower far in the background. It stood tall and mighty, and it was beyond menacing and morbid.

Nevertheless, he knew where he was the moment he saw the skies of the world he came from.

Spike has come into the Maw...

Author's Note

I use 'Underworld' because I'm LDS, so please don't judge. Thank you! ☺